In short, no. Our Fireray detectors are not designed to be painted, as there is a risk that paint could adversely affect the plastics and electronics over time. However, we are aware that our product needs to work alongside your buildings so, as an alternative, it is possible to use a façade to easily hide our Fireray detectors while also allowing for maintenance access to the devices.

We produce a wide range of conventional, zone powered and addressable beam smoke detector models.

Fireray 50/100R range: Apollo, Eaton and Aritech.

Fireray 5000: Apollo and Simplex.

Fireray 3000: None.

Fireray One: in development.

Using a NON-ABRASIVE CLOTH, gently wipe the prism and detector of any dusty or otherwise contaminated surface. As a feature within all Fireray products, a fault will appear on the device if contamination reaches a level that it is not able to operate. These faults differ between models, so we recommend you check the appropriate user manual for more details.

They can be placed between 10-15 meters (33-50 ft.) apart assuming the ceiling is flat. Placing beam smoke detectors closer than 10 meters (33 ft.) increases the risk of interference resulting in false alarms or faults on your system.

You need to know the length, wide and (if over 25m) the height of the risk area. A Beam can cover a width of 15m (which can rise to 18.75m in certain circumstances).

Each of our Fireray models have an Amber or Green LED which will flash every 8-10 seconds to visually confirm normal operation, either on the detector and/or controller.

Fireray 3000 and 5000: The right hand LED on the Controller will flash Green every 10 seconds if the System is working (the Detectors on the F5000 will also flash Green every 10 seconds). If the System is in fault, an Amber LED will flash to indicate the position (or number) of the faulty Beam (the Detectors on the F5000 will flash Amber every 10 seconds if they are faulty, but can also display no LED under certain types of failure mode).

Fireray 50/100Rs: The current version will flash an Amber LED once every 10 seconds to indicate it is working and be on constant or flash every 2 seconds if it is in fault. Note: Very early 50/100Rs had a Green LED fitted in place of the Amber one. These work as follows – No LED, the Beam is working. A solid or flashing every 2 seconds means the Beam is in fault.

Fireray One: A Green LED flashing means the Beam is working, an Amber LED flashing every 3, 5 or 10 seconds indicates a fault.

1. Ensure nothing can enter the Beams path, such a box in a warehouse.
2. That sunlight cannot shine directly onto the Detector/Receiver of older Beams.
3. Check for condensation on the Beam when it is cold on site.
4. That both ends of the Beam are on a solid surface which will not move.

When testing, ALWAYS test your beam smoke detector at the reflector or transmitter end of the system.

Completely cover the reflector or the transmitter, depending on the model you have – using a non-reflective material – such as a piece of cardboard, or foam. If your beam is aligned correctly, it will go into FAULT condition.

Click below to download the Fireray Wiring Diagrams.

2 Detectors/Beams to the Fireray 3000 and Fireray 5000 Controllers. The new Fireray Hub can have 3 Detectors/Beam both Reflective and End to End on the same set up.

We recommend all our Fireray beam smoke detectors are powered through a dedicated 24V dc 1 Amp power supply. A 5 Amp or greater rated power supply is recommended if you need to support prism (reflector) and detector heaters, to combat condensation.

We do not recommend using our products through the zone connections on the fire panel unless you are using a zone powered beam smoke detector.

Any FFE Beam can be connected to a Wireless interface.

You can visit www.ffeuk.com and view our user guides and case studies to learn more about beams in certain applications. Or see our Fireray Pocket guide.

Click here to download the Firerary Technical notes:

Fireray One Technical Notes.

Fireray F50R 100R Technical Notes.

F3000 & F3000 Exd Technical Notes.

F5000 Technical Notes.

First check that Fire and Fault is being displayed by the Beam. If this is not happening, check the way you are testing the Beam. If it is, then check the Fire Resistor and the EOL device is correct. If so, check the Fire and Fault Relays are working and trace the cable back to the Fire Panel.

If you cannot achieve the guidelines for Installation of Beams in BS5839 part 1, you need to declare this a ‘variation’ of the standard. For this to be accepted, all interceded parties must agree.

Areas which are open to the outside world, have lots of air born contamination or large temperature swings should be avoided when using Beams. Strong sunlight can cause false alarms for older Beams in the FFE range.

You must have the correct ‘line of Sight’ to align a Beam. 1m diameter for the Reflective types 600mm diameter for the End to End (this can be less under certain circumstances). The Risk Area should ideally be enclosed from the outside world, have no air born contamination and have wide temperature fluctuations.

A strong Infra-Red source from another Beam, Sunlight or Beacons/Strobe lights can affect a Beam, but only if this source is directly on the Detector/Receiver.

There are multiple reasons for a Beam of any kind to false alarm and the types of reasons are listed below. The 3 LED version of the F5000 Controller has an Event Log which can be used for fault finding. At present, this is the only FFE with an Event Log.

Dust/Mist: As a rough rule of thumb if your eye can see something, the Beam can too. So, a site which has a lot of dust up in the roof space where the Beams are can trigger false alarms. Similarly, if the site is not sealed for the outside world, mist can form in the roof space and trigger a false alarm. To a Beam, both dust and mist will appear as smoke as they attenuate (reduce) the Beams signal.

Condensation: Any moisture which forms on the lens of the Reflectors of a Beam can cause the Beam’s signal to drop below the Fire Threshold and cause an alarm. Since the moisture can evaporate quickly, this type of False Alarm can be hard to detect. I will usually occur at colder times of the year and hot during the warmer months. FFE make heaters for Detectors and Reflectors, but these may need an extra power supply.

Building Movement: Ideally, you should always use a solid surface to mount a Beam on. If the surface moves, then it is not suitable for a Beam. If it holds the building up, brickwork, steels in the roof space, it is good to use. Remember – the longer then Beams run, the more important the solid surface becomes. Over 100m, 1 degree of movement at one end is nearly 2m at the opposite end of the building. If you have a brick wall and a plaster board wall, always put the Detector or Transmitter on the Brick wall and the Reflector or Receiver on the plaster board wall. This is because both the Reflector and Receiver can tolerate move movement before it affects the Beam’s signal than the Detector or Transmitter.

Obstructions: Anything that can block the path of a Beam can cause a False Alarm. This can be people, a temporary structure or most commonly, a pallet on the top of a rack. Again, a pallet blocking a Beam can be removed before the Fire Alarm Engineer has seen it and this can lead to confusion about the cause of the alarm.

Sunlight: The older Beam designs are False Alarmed by sunlight shining directly onto either the Detector or Receiver. Sunlight passing through the Beam is not a problem. Thought needs to be given when using Beams in areas with lots of glass as reflected sunlight can also False Alarm older designs. Newer Beams have LCT (Light Cancellation Technology) which will not False Alarm because of the sun.

Poor Manual Alignment: If a Beam is manually aligned, the skill of the Engineer setting the Beam up will have a crucial impact on the long-term performance. A poorly aligned Beam may not go wrong for a few weeks of months, but this combined with a not so solid mounting can end up with the Beam False Alarming. So, with a manually aligned Beam, the Engineer needs to follow the manual and or watch the training video to get the best possible Alignment of the Beam.

5m Minimum to 120m Maximum.

Using FP200 you can have a maximum of 100m between the Detector and Controller. This is only 80m using USA spec cable.

The 50R/100R has a warranty of 3 years.
The Fireray 5000, 3000, and 3000 Exd has a 5-year warranty.
The Fireray One has a 5-year Warranty.

Ideally you need the ‘Beam Test Kit’, but this is not essential. What is essential is the ability to block the Beam at either the Reflector or Receiver end depending on the type of Beam.

Installations are often specified to be fireproof rated cabling in most cases. You can use 2 core cabling for power supply wiring and 2 core cabling for the relay output connections. If you only have access to 4 core cabling this can be used also, but double up on the cores. Spare cables should not be left floating.

Click below to download the Fireray Part Numbers and Approvals document.

All datasheets can be found at ffeuk.com go to the Products, then the relevant Fireray tab and select beam type, then go to resources and then datasheets.

You need the 1m diameter Line of Sight and ideally not have any reflective surfaces along the Beams run. Glass and shiny surfaces along the Beams path should be avoided. If you can’t achieve this, the End to End type can be used.

If you cannot archive the guidelines for the Reflective type, the End to End should be used.

Click below to download the Fireray Detector Flow Chart.

Yes, all models will work except for our UV/IR2 models, as UV light emitted from a flame can be absorbed by glass.

Our Flame detector test unit is designed to test our Talentum flame detectors, so we cannot guarantee cross compatibility or reliability with other types of flame detectors.

We offer a Flame Tester unit that works with our entire range of flame detectors. It is advised that when testing your flame detector, you test with the same signal strength and range every time to gauge the effectiveness and functionality more accurately.

Click below to download the Talentum Wiring Diagrams.

Talentum flame detectors do not need to be aligned, simply pointed at a powered unit towards the risk or area being protected. So as long as your risk is in that 90° field of view, a flame will be detected by the unit and go into alarm (FIRE).

The answer to this will depend on the specific application. However, we offer the following guidelines to help you.

Know your Risk – Does your environment contain volatile substances or are you monitoring a metal process to check for ignition? Depending on your environment and its risks you will need different set-ups to make sure it’s fully protected.

Know your Model – Check out our flowchart of What Flame Detector Do I Need? This breaks down our entire range and what environments they protect.

Know your Flame – What size flame are you trying to pick up? Small flames need detectors ~1 meter (3 feet) away from the risk, while larger flames can be detected up to 25m (82 ft) or more if the flame is large enough.

Know your Measurements – Make sure you are aware of the size of the process or area you are looking to protect as this will affect the number of units needed for your installation.

Know your Obstructions – If you cannot see the flame, the detector cannot see it either. In any installation there are common obstructions to be aware of; people, vehicles, equipment, or internal building structures. Add additional flame detectors where temporary or permanent obstructions may occur and always test final installation in different locations to check your coverage is as intended.

We recommend you test your flame detectors at least every 12 months – this can vary depending on site requirements, local laws and regulations and it is your responsibility to know these.

Our rule of thumb: if in doubt, test it. Record it.

The fire and fault relay could be wired incorrectly. Check against the wiring diagram below.

When testing a Talentum Flame Detector, you should only use one of the following tests:

1) Modified Test Torch. The Test Torch with the Blue Filter on the end should not be used as this can give a false pass. There are two modified versions (Infra-Red only and both Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet Flame Detectors) of the Test Torch and these should only be used from now on.

2) A real flame of the appropriate size.

3) The Self-Test.

All these methods of testing should give a fire. If this does not work, then check that the window of the Flame Detector is clean (this is very important with the UV/IR2 but less so with IR2 & IR3). A dirty window will not affect the Self-Test function and the test is internal. If the Test Torch or Flame test fails, it is worth removing the cover to see if the window affected the test. Finally, check that the Fire Relay is working and that the Fire Resistor is fitted and the correct value for the Fire Panel. The only way to test for Fault is to power the Flame Detector down. If a Fault does not appear at the Fire Panel, check the Fault relay is opening.

False Alarms can be due to the wrong type of Flame Detector being used. As a rough rule of thumb, IR2 and IR3 Flame Detectors should not be used outside unless protected from direct sunlight, which can False Alarm Flame Detectors. To get an activation, all the sensors in the Flame Detector must be in Fire and then there must be a ‘flicker’ or modulation of that signal.

Inside False Alarms: If a Flame Detector False alarms inside and the sun has not been shining directly onto it (if it is an IR2, IR3 or Spark Detector), the following has always been present:

Extreme Heat: a very hot process which gives of a heat of over 300 – 400 degrees can give off all the Infra-Red (and Ultra-Violet) needed to trigger a Flame Detector. The heat can also cause a haze to appear over the process, which combined with the IR will appear as a fire to a Flame Detector.

High Ambient Temperature: If the ambient temperature of the risk area gets above the maximum rated temperature (+55 degrees for the Standard and +85 degrees for the Enhanced version), the sensors are much more sensitive to an IR and can False Alarm.

Strong Infra-Red source: Flashing lights on a dump truck at a recycling centre False Alarmed an IR2 Flame Detector.

Outside False Alarms:

Sunlight: IR2 and IR3 Flame Detectors can be False Alarmed by direct or reflected sunlight shinning directly onto the front of the Flame Detector. Water can reflect sunlight, so puddles can cause problems to IR2 and IR3 Flame Detectors even if they are hidden from the sun. Use UV/IR2 Flame Detectors outside.

Reflections of steels: Outside metalwork has been known to False Alarm Flame Detectors by ‘bouncing’ IR through to the Flame Detector. Welding arcs can be picked up by Flame Detectors from the IR/UV signals being reflected by steel work.

Power the unit at ground level and check for a GREEN LED again. It may be that the LED has moved from its position. Check your wiring is connected to power supply and voltage is 24Vdc. If the amber LED illuminates, then the unit is likely in failure.

Using FP200, the maximum distance between the Controller and Detector is 100m, using USA Spec Fireproof cable, the distance is only 80m.

In the UK, you should use FP200 Fireproof cable or the Fireproof equivalent in your country.

Our Talentum detectors look for flames across a broad spectrum of infrared and UV light (both invisible to the naked eye). Talentum flame detectors look for the flickering movement of a flame allowing our products to reduce the risk of false alarms, while being able to detect flames of both non-hydrocarbon and hydrocarbon fuels.

Click below to download the Talentum Part Numbers and Approvals

All datasheets can be found at ffeuk.com go to the Talentum tab and select detector type, then go to resources and then datasheets.

Click below to download the Talentum Flow Chart.

In short, yes. Our IR2 and IR3 flame detectors provide fast detection response while operating through dust and mist without loss of performance or reliability.